Bengaluru, (DHNS): It’s official, 57-year-old Arjuna will carry the golden howdah weighing 750 kg during Jamboo Savari for the seventh time, on September 30. This time, all the 15 Dasara elephants will be part of the grand ceremony.

Arjuna has donned the lead role of carrying the howdah since 2012. He also shouldered the responsibility in 1999 after the death of Drona, the then howdah elephant.

Besides Arjuna, three other elephants — Abhimanyu, Balarama, Gajendra — are also fit to carry the howdah and have cleared all the tests during rehearsal.

Female elephants 39-year-old Kaveri and 60-year-old Vijaya will accompany Arjuna. While Balarama, who carried the howdah 13 times, will perform the role of ‘Nishane’ elephant, Abhimanyu will be the ‘Noupath’ elephant.

The 44-year-old Vikrama will be the pattadaaane for the royal family to perform Vijayadashami rituals and 35-year-old Gopi will join Vikrama. The other elephants, including first-time participants in Dasara, Bheema, Krishna and Drona, Varalakshmi, Prashanth, Gajendra, Harsha and Gopalaswami will be the ‘Saalanes’.

Vinu to lead Arjuna:
This time, the Forest department has appointed Vinu to perform the role of mahout of Arjuna and Sanappa, son of Doddamasti, former mahout of Arjuna, as kavadi. For the first time, Vinu is manning the howdah elephant. In Dasara-2016, Sanappa was the mahout. It may be mentioned that there was a tough competition between Vinu and Sanappa to be mahout of the lead elephant.

The procession will commence at 4.45 pm at Mysuru Palace after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah performs ‘Nandi Dhwaja’ puja and offers flora tribute to the idol of Chamundeshwari placed inside the howdah.